North West police made a breakthrough in the case of kidnapped learners — Zahraa Mohammed, 17, and Bataviya Mohammed, 19, and rescued the two teenagers.
The learners were kidnapped on March 6, in a dramatic, movie-style abduction while they were on their way to school.
“The cousins were found on Monday evening, March 25, in a house at New Stands, Klipgat near Winterveldt and Mabopane,” North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said.
“In the process of locating the victims, the determined team arrested six suspects.”
The seventh suspect; 48-year-old Humphrey Martin, was arrested in the early hours of March 8, at Naturena, in Johannesburg.
Martin has appeared before the Brits Magistrate’s Court three times this month, including on Monday.
“He remains in custody and is expected to appear again on Monday, April 8, for formal bail application,” said Mokgwabone.
He said the the victims were examined by paramedics at Klipgat police station's victims-friendly room (VFR) and found to be in “a good state of health except for exhaustion and trauma”.
The teenagers were safely reunited with their families, without any visible injuries.
When the kidnapping happened, IOL reported that the kidnappers bumped the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz which was transporting the teenagers to school.
A maroon Audi A3 was used to crash into the Mercedes Benz, forcing it to stop.
“The said Audi A3 was reportedly stolen in Garsfontein in March. It is further alleged that two armed men got out of a white Volkwagen Polo GTI and ordered the cousins to get into the VW Polo. The driver of the Audi got into a Toyota Hilux allegedly driven by Humphrey Martin,” said Mokgwabone.
The assailants then fled from the crime scene, with the kidnapped teenagers in the white VW Polo.
The Mercedes Benz vehicle and the Audi A3 were abandoned at the crime scene.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the Audi A3 was reportedly stolen in Garsfontein in March this year,” said Mokgwabone.
He said the arrested suspects are scheduled to appear before the Brits Magistrate’s Court on an unspecified date, facing two counts of kidnapping and extortion.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has saluted the multi-disciplinary law enforcement team which worked on the case, comprising of provincial organised crime unit, members of the anti-kidnapping unit, the Bojanala platinum sub-district task team, and Brits crime intelligence unit.
Kwena praised the team “for their relentless efforts” which led to the tracking of the abducted learners and the arrest of the alleged kidnappers.
He emphasized that the arrests will, “without doubt, sound a warning that those who commit crimes have no place to hide in society and will be exposed as it happened in this case”.
IOL